Geology Commons^™

The Effect Of Rainfall And Post-Revolutionary Land-Use Changes On Sediment Yield In Weixi Basin, Yunnan, China : New Insights From Multi-Temporal Land-Use Classification And Radionuclide Analyses, Yue Qiu

Honors Papers

This paper looks at the dynamic interphase connecting post-revolutionary politics, modern land use practices, precipitation patterns, basin slope, and sediment yield records in Weixi basin, a small mountainous watershed in Southwestern China with a total upstream area of 198 m2. The goal is to identify what processes, climatic or not, account for the changes in local sediment yield and erosion budget. Weixi basin has an average annual sediment yield of 175 ton/km2 with two anomalously large peaks in 1979 and 1984. Precipitation is moderately correlated with sediment yield at interannual scale. It also affects seasonal fluctuations in sediment yield as …

Eclogites And Eclogites: Oxygen Isotope Evidence Of A Shared Subduction Origin For Franciscan Eclogites And Moses Rock Eclogite Xenoliths, William F. Hoover

Honors Papers

Eclogites can be found in two distinct tectonic settings in the western USA: in the Franciscan Complex as tectonic blocks in a fossil accretionary wedge, and in the Navajo Volcanic Field as xenoliths in diatremes. Intra-crystal oxygen isotope analyses of garnets from these two settings provide important information on the source, composition and timing of fluid interactions in both eclogite settings. Because of the well-documented relationship between Franciscan subduction and the volcanism in the Navajo Volcanic Field, the samples in this study can be directly compared to determine if they share a common origin. The Navajo eclogites in this study …

Large-Scale Fluidization Features From Late Holocene Coseismic Paleoliquefaction In The Willamette River Forearc Valley, Central Cascadia Subduction Zone, Oregon, Usa, Curt D. Peterson, Kurt Kristensen, Rick Minor

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A search of Willamette River cutbanks was conducted for the presence of late Holocene paleoli-quefaction records in the Willamette forearc valley, located 175 ± 25 km landward from the buried trench in the central Cascadia subduction zone. A search of Willamette River cutbanks was conducted for the presence of late Holocene paleoli-quefaction records in the Willamette forearc valley, located 175 ± 25 km landward from the buried trench in the central Cascadia subduction zone. Eight cutbank sites are reported that show evidence of large-scale fluidization features (≥10 cm width) including clastic sand dikes and intruded sand sills in Holocene overbank …

Central Cascadia Subduction Zone Creep, Gina M. Schmalzle, Robert Mccaffrey, Kenneth C. Creager

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Central Cascadia between 43ºN and 46ºN has reduced interseismic uplift observed in geodetic data and coseismic subsidence seen in multiple thrust earthquakes, suggesting elevated persistent fault creep in this section of the subduction zone. We estimate subduction thrust "decade-scale" locking and crustal block rotations from three-component continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) time series from 1997 to 2013, as well as 80 year tide gauge and leveling-derived uplift rates. Geodetic observations indicatecoastal central Oregon is rising at a slower rate than coastal Washington, southern Oregon and northern California. Modeled locking distributions suggest a wide locking transition zone that extends inland undercentral …

Deformation And Exhumation Across Gianbul Dome, Nw India: Insight From Deformation Kinematics And Temperatures, And 40ar/39ar Thermochronology, Meilani Bowman-Kamaha’O

All Master's Theses

New kinematic, microtextural, and thermochronology studies test the hypothesis that high temperature-moderate pressure rocks exposed in Gianbul Dome, NW India, were exhumed south of the southern Tibetan detachment system by the southward extrusion of a mid-crustal ductile channel. Mesoscopic and microscopic kinematic indicators record normal-sense shear in the Khanjar and Zanskar shear zones, which define the southwest and northeast flanks of Gianbul Dome, respectively. Microtextural analyses indicate deformation at >400°C along dome flanks increasing to > 700°C in the core. Moderate temperature cooling is asymmetric across the dome, initiating at ~22 Ma on the southwest flank of the dome-and at ~20 …

Structural Deformation Across The Southwest Mina Deflection, California-Nevada: Field Studies In The Huntoon Spring Quadrangle, Eliya R. Hogan

All Master's Theses

New geologic data provides insight into Pliocene strain rates across the southwest Mina deflection. ⁴⁰ Ar/³⁹ Ar geochronology of geologic units indicate cooling of Miocene ignimbrite at 11.86 ± 0.01 Ma, Pliocene basalt lavas at 3.7241 ± 0.0051 and 3.5262 ± 0.0172 Ma, and basaltic andesite and andesite lavas at 3.4715 ± 0.0107 Ma and 3.1078 ± 0.0088 Ma. Pliocene cinder cones and Quaternary sediments are also exposed in the Huntoon Spring quadrangle. Volcanic units are cut by a dominant set of NNE-, NE-, and ENE- striking sinistral faults and a lesser set of NNW- and NW- striking normal …

Development Of Structural Basins And Domes On The Sinn El-Kaddab Plateau, Egypt: Insights From In Situ Data And Application Of Moderate Resolution Orbital Imagery Of The Seiyal Fault, Thomas J. Jerris

Masters Theses

"The Seiyal Fault, one of many east-west trending faults located in the Western Desert of Egypt, and associated structural basins and domes are investigated using remote sensing imagery and field studies. Analysis of Shuttle Reconnaissance Topography Mission data, multi-spectral data from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (LM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectometer (ASTER) data, and imagery from Google Earth. Band combinations 3-2-1 and 7-4-2 in ETM+ and 3N-2-1 and 7-3-1 in ASTER, and Google Earth provided the most useful images for geologic mapping. The Seiyal Fault is best characterized as a zone …

An Investigation Of Contaminant Metal Distribution And Mineral Speciation In The Soil Near The Buick Recycling Division Smelter, Iron County, Missouri, Krista Nicole Rybacki

Masters Theses

"Trace metal contamination studies were conducted near the Buick Resource Recycling Division. This study used sequential extraction, total digestion, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to study trace metals in two soil cores. Sequential extraction analysis of the soil cores revealed that lead was associated with either iron or manganese oxides. Zinc and copper were bound to soil components, extracted mainly from organics, sulfides, and clays. Total digestion results compared favorably to the sum of the sequential extraction results for lead, thus validating the sequential extraction methodology. The highest concentration observed for lead was 4,743 parts …

A Receiver Function Study Of Crust Thickness And Composition Beneath The Southwestern United States, Si Wu

Masters Theses

"Over the past decades, the seismic structure of the crust and upper mantle of the southwestern United States was examined using an array of different methods. The structure and composition of crust received special attentions, most due to the hydrocarbon reserves in this area. Here new constraints on crustal evolution and structure models are provide by systematically analyzing 37,402 receiver functions recorded at 234 seismic stations on the southwestern United States. The results reveal that the Transitional Crust is characterized by a thin (29.0±1.0 km) crust, a low Vp/Vs ratio of 1.76±0.016 and a high amplitude (R) of P-to-S converted …

A Remote Sensing Investigation Of Elevated Sub-Horizontal Topographic Surfaces In The Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma, Liang Xue

Masters Theses

"Multiple elevated horizontal to sub-horizontal topographic surfaces are present in the Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma. Elevated topographic surfaces, developed primarily on granite bedrock with gentle slopes of 0.5 to 7⁰,were investigated using 1) Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) extracted from NAD 27 UTM coordinates, 2) Google Earth imagery, and 3) USGS topographic maps. In the western Wichita Mountains prominent topographic surfaces at elevations of 720 ± 5 m, 685 ± 5 m, and 660 ± 5 m are well preserved on at least four different mountains (e.g., Solder's Peak, King Mt.) and can be correlated with similar surfaces on at least seven …

Pn Anisotropy Tomography Of The Colorado Plateau And Adjacent Areas, Shengyao Cheng

Masters Theses

"The Pn tomography method utilizes seismic waves that refract along the Moho interface to perform inversion in order to investigate velocity anomalies and seismic anisotropy in the uppermost mantle. Results from Pn tomography can provide important information about the composition, temperature, and tectonic processes beneath the study area. Over the past decades, numerous seismic and geologic studies have been conducted in the Colorado Plateau and its adjacent areas to reveal crustal and mantle structures and processes responsible for the diverse surface geological features and tectonic events that have occurred in this area. To investigate lateral variations in the uppermost mantle …

Shear-Wave Splitting And Mantle Deformation Beneath The Western Tibetan Plateau, Melissa Ann Ray

Masters Theses

"The Tibetan Plateau has been an enigma to the scientific community since scientists first began to focus their attention on the area. Numerous studies over the decades were conducted to address how the plateau formed, mostly in the central and eastern portions of the Tibetan Plateau. Many questions still remain regarding the western Tibetan Plateau, and this study will add constraints to the mechanisms which regulated the formation of the plateau.

Data was acquired from over 13,000 measurements from 172 stations covering the western region of the plateau encompassing the Qiangtang Terrane, the Lhasa Terrane, and the Himalayan Orogenic Zone. …

Constraints On Interplate Locking Within The Makran Subduction Zone Using Gps, Elyse Erin Frohling

All Master's Theses

We use GPS measurements from 20 stations located in Iran, Pakistan, and Oman along with International Seismological Centre hypocentral locations to create a fault coupling model for the Makran subduction zone. The 3-D geometry of the megathrust fault is estimated from five profiles landward of the Makran trench. Continuous GPS on the Arabian plate show convergence of ~27 mm/year, and interseismic deformation is calculated using the back-slip method of Savage [ 1983]. We find the entire subduction zone appears to be accumulating stress uniformly from ~15-60 km depth and find no evidence of along-strike segmentation in strain accumulation, suggesting the …

Relationship Between Static Stress Change And Volcanism. How And If Tectonic Earthquake Could Influence Volcanic Activity. Example Of El Reventador Volcano, Ecuador, Daniele Alami

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

No abstract provided.

Benthic And Pelagic Pathways Of Methylmercury Bioaccumulation In Estuarine Food Webs Of The Northeast United States, Celia Y. Chen, Mark E. Borsuk, Deenie M. Bugge, Terill Hollweg

Dartmouth Scholarship

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a contaminant of global concern that bioaccumulates and bioamagnifies in marine food webs. Lower trophic level fauna are important conduits of MeHg from sediment and water to estuarine and coastal fish harvested for human consumption. However, the sources and pathways of MeHg to these coastal fisheries are poorly known particularly the potential for transfer of MeHg from the sediment to biotic compartments. Across a broad gradient of human land impacts, we analyzed MeHg concentrations in food webs at ten estuarine sites in the Northeast US (from the Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ to the Gulf of Maine). MeHg concentrations …

Landscape Evolution And Preservation Of Ice Over One Million Years Old Quantified With Cosmogenic Nuclides 26al, 10be, And 21ne, Ong Valley, Antarctica, Theodore C. Bibby

Theses and Dissertations

Antarctica has been glaciated for the past 35-40 million years (Denton et al., 1991) and evidence of periodic fluctuations of the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) during the Cenozoic are recorded in the ice sheet itself, deep sea sediments, and glacial deposits on the continent (Ingólfsson, 2004). Quaternary continental records of AIS extent is limited to few locations along the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) and coastal continental boundaries (Denton et al., 1984; Denton et al., 1989). Records of atmospheric variation over time, glacial extents, and ice sheet responses to environmental changes are required to understand modern day forces on climate and the …

Patterns And Mechanisms Of Heat Transport In The Northern Denver Basin Nebraska, South Dakota And Wyoming, Aaron T. Ochsner

Theses and Dissertations

Finite difference simulations of the hydrothermal system of the northern Denver Basin are suggestive of a correlation between anomalous heat flux and the presence of faults and structural lineaments mapped in the region. Geothermal, hydrogeological, lithological, and structural data available for the northern Denver Basin were compiled and analyzed in an effort to determine the hydrothermal mechanisms responsible for observed heat flow anomalies in the study area. Measurement of thermal conductivity was conducted for 82 solid core samples and 60 unconsolidated samples from drill cuttings, yielding a harmonic mean thermal conductivity value of 1.52 ± 0.91W m-1 K-1 for the …

From Marsquakes To Terraforming: The Role Of Planetary Geology In Science Fiction Literature, Katherine Shover 14

Honor Scholar Theses

None

Modeling Tidally Driven Coulomb Failure At Strike-Slip Linea On Europa, Marissa Elizabeth Cameron

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The surface of Europa is crosscut by a dense network of fractures and there are many candidate faults for studying past tectonic activity. To better understand the role of tidal stress sources and implications for faulting on Europa, we investigate the relationship between shear and normal stresses at four fault zones: Agenor Linea, Rhadamanthys Linea, Conamara Chaos (Agave/Asterius Linea), and Astypalaea Linea, offering a unique comparison of geological activity of fractures residing in geographically diverse locations of Europa. Assuming tidal diurnal and non-synchronous rotation (NSR) stresses are the primary mechanisms for strike-slip tectonism, here we investigate the mechanics of Coulomb …

Impacting Earthquake Science And Geoscience Education: Educational Programming To Earthquake Relocation, Tina Louise Carrick

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation is comprised of four studies: three related to research on geoscience education and another seismological study of the South Island of New Zealand. The geoscience education research is grounded in 10 years of data collection and its implications for best practices for recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students into higher education in the geosciences. The seismological component contains results from the relocation of earthquakes from the 2009 Dusky Sound Mw 7.8 event, South Island, New Zealand.

In recent years, many have cited a major concern that U.S. is not producing enough STEM graduates to fit the forecasted …

Geophysical Model Of The Cu-Mo Porphyry Ore Deposit At Copper Flat Mine, Hillsboro, Sierra County, New Mexico, Adrian Emmanuel Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A 3D gravity model of the Copper Flat Mine was performed as part of the exploration of new resources in at the mine. The project is located in the Las Animas Mining District in Sierra County, New Mexico. The mine has been producing ore since 1877 and is currently owned by the New Mexico Copper Corporation, which plans o bringing the closed copper mine back into production with innovation and a sustainable approach to mining development. The Project is located on the Eastern side of the Arizona-Sonora-New Mexico porphyry copper Belt of Cretaceous age. Copper Flat is predominantly a Cretaceous …

Sedimentologic, Stratigraphic, And Diagenetic Analysis Of Microbialite-Bearing Lacustrine Rift Sequence Within The Lower Cretaceous Yucca Formation, Indio Mountains, West Texas, Xiaowei Li

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study sedimentologically, stratigraphically, and diagenetically analyzed strata of the upper member of the Lower Cretaceous Yucca Formation in the Indio Mountains, West Texas in order to develop an outcrop-based analog model for similar facies that form major hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Pre-salt rift basins of the South Atlantic margin. The lower Cretaceous strata of the Indio Mountains were deposited in rift basins that formed along the eastern margin of the Chihuahua Trough under similar greenhouse climate conditions as the South Atlantic basins.

Eleven lithofacies are recognized from the upper member of the Yucca Formation to the base of the …

Mapping Technologically And Economically Important Materials At Lunar And Terrestrial Sites Using Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) And Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission And Reflection Radiometer (Aster) Data, Douglas L. Standart

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation comprises three distinct research projects, all of which employ the use of remote sensing and digital image processing methods for the discovery and characterization of mineral resources. Two of the research projects focus on the use of hyperspectral data to identify water and ilmenite on the lunar surface. The third research project involves the use of multispectral data to map alunite in copper porphyry and epithermal silver-gold deposits. Our approach to these problems result in innovative algorithms and geological interpretations that are of use to both planetary science and exploration and the terrestrial mineral industry.

Project I: Towards …

Exploring The Hydrogeologic Controls On Brackish Water And Its Suitability For Use In Hydraulic Fracturing: The Dockum Aquifer, Midland Basin, Texas, Francisco Ruben Reyes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water scarcity in arid regions can limit or impede certain hydrocarbon production activities, such as hydraulic fracturing and well drilling. The Midland Basin, a major oil-producing area in semi-arid far west Texas and the eastern sub-basin of the Permian Basin, is already impacted by limited freshwater availability. A typical tight oil well in the Midland Basin requires ~3.8–11.4 × 103 m3 of water per fracture treatment (Nicot et al., 2012). Despite draught conditions and limited resources, data for 2011 indicate freshwater comprises ~70% of the water used in hydraulic fracturing in the Midland basin. Thus, the Midland Basin represents an …

Geophysical Investigation Of Hot Springs In The Vicinity Of Shoshone, California, Felix Dziedzorm Ziwu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Magnetic and gravity surveys were conducted in the vicinity of Shoshone, California to test a hypothesis from investigating hotsprings within Tecopa and Saratoga which states that deep faults must intersect with a specific orientation relative to the regional stress field in order to create hot springs along the Amargosa River.

Three isolated basalt flows with different gravity and magnetic properties were identified near the Shoshone hot spring. Two of the flows have very low magnetic anomalies and the remaining one has a high magnetic anomaly. The high magnetic anomaly basalt flow also has a significantly higher Bouguer anomaly than the …

Stratigraphy, Depositional Environments, And Petroleum Potential Of The Three Forks Formation -- Williston Basin, North Dakota, Richard A. Ashu

Theses and Dissertations

The hydrocarbon potential of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota is poorly known due to limited stratigraphic, geochemical, and petrophysical data. This study presents a methodology and results of a reservoir characterization study of the stratigraphy, lithofacies distribution, petroleum potential, and paleo-environments of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota as a potential for hydrocarbon exploration with the principal objective to evaluate the Three Forks Formation’s potential for future developments. The detailed lithology is computed by employing a probabilistic interpretation approach calibrated with lab results and five major lithofacies of the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota, which display …

Characterization, Diagenesis, And Geocellular Modeling Of Winnipegosis Formation Pinnacle Reefs In The Williston Basin, North Dakota, Nicholas W. Bosshart

Theses and Dissertations

The Middle Devonian Winnipegosis Formation of the North Dakota Williston Basin contains pinnacle reef structures which have been targeted in the past for hydrocarbon production. These reefs have not been proven to hold economically important primary recoverable reserves, and are now being analyzed for potential CO₂ EOR and storage applications.

During this study multiple sizes of Winnipegosis Formation pinnacle reef geocellular models were constructed utilizing data from North Dakota Winnipegosis pinnacle reefs wells, cores, and thin sections. These models were then simulated for CO₂ injectivity.

Initial results show that Winnipegosis pinnacle reefs smaller than 1.5 miles in diameter are likely …

Architecture, Heterogeneity, And Origin Of Late Miocene Fluvial Deposits Hosting The Most Important Aquifer In The Great Plains, Usa, R. Matthew Joeckel, Steve R. Wooden Jr., Jesse T. Korus, Jon Garbisch

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Ash Hollow Formation (AHF) of the Ogallala Group is an important sedimentary archive of the emergence of the Great Plains and it contains major groundwater resources. Stratal patterns of constituent alluvial lithofacies demonstrate that the AHF is much more heterogeneous than is commonly assumed. Very fine- to fine-grained sandstone dominate overall, chiefly lithofacies Sm (massive to locally stratified sandstone). Stacked, thin sheets of Sm with accretionary macroform surfaces are common, indicating that many sandstone architectural elements originated as compound-bar deposits in dominantly sand-bed streams. Channel forms are difficult to identify and steep cutbanks are absent. Multiple units of lithofacies …

Dune Formation On Late Holocene Sandy Bay Barriers Along Lake Michigan’S Door Peninsula: The Importance Of Increased Sediment Supply Following The Nipissing And Algoma High Lake-Level Phases, J. Elmo Rawling Iii, Paul R. Hanson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study focuses on the geomorphology and geochronology of dunes formed on three sandy barrier systems at Clark, Europe and Kangaroo Lakes in Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula. The Lake Michigan shoreline in the peninsula contains abundant evidence for fluctuations in lake level with paleo-shoreline features that lie up to ~7 m above the present shoreline. Dunes are not very common along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Wisconsin, but the three bay barriers studied contain beach ridges that were buried by varying depths of eolian sand in the form of low relief sandsheets as well as parabolic and transverse dunes that have …

Ashfall Tephra In The Ogallala Group Of The Great Plains: Characteristics And Significance, Michael E. Perkins, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Michael R. Voorhies, Barbara P. Nash, Bruce E. Bailey

Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., Publications

The Miocene Ogallala Group blankets the Great Plains east of the Rocky Mountains. This sheet of largely fluvial deposits, lying downwind of major silicic volcanic fields to the west, was ideally located to receive and preserve tephra from these fields. This investigation brings modern methods of tephrochronlogy to bear on the age and identity of Ogallala tephra. Results indicate that ~40 separate tephra layers, ranging in age from ~16.5–5.0 Ma, in the Ogallala. Most tephra came from Yellowstone hotspot sources. The relative frequency of hotspot tephra in the Ogallala matches that in more proximal regions to the west with peak …